


Dancing The Night Away

by your_royal_blondeness



Category: Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer
Genre: F/M, Lunar Ball, OTP!, TLC Ship Weeks 2018, and he's clumsy, cress is very tired, cresswell, idk yet, mentions the rest of the crew, might add another chapter later?, thorne loves to take ten years to get ready, whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-01-18
Packaged: 2019-03-06 06:17:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13405233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/your_royal_blondeness/pseuds/your_royal_blondeness
Summary: The whole Rampion crew is invited to a ball on Luna, and Cress and Thorne are really excited to catch up with their friends. Problem is, Cress might not be able to stay awake all night, and Thorne takesforeverto get ready. Written for TLC Ship Weeks 2018.





	Dancing The Night Away

**Author's Note:**

> Written for TLC Ship Weeks 2018 (Free Week Day 4: Lunar Ball).

“Captain? We’re going to be late!”

Cress was seated in the copilot’s chair, tapping her nails impatiently against the portscreen in her lap and glancing down every few seconds to check the time. She tugged on a curl and chewed on her lip, hoping that they wouldn’t show up on Luna late. She didn’t want their friends to worry.

Cinder had suggested the idea of a peace ball of sorts on Luna shortly after being coronated and signing the Treaty of Bremen, and she had only just officially announced the date, more than two years later. The minute the invitations for her and Thorne were in her hands, Cress had squealed and poured over newsfeeds about royal balls and how to be prepared, whilst Thorne chuckled and insisted that getting ready for a ball didn’t take that much effort.

Even so, they were about to be late to the First Annual Lunar Ball, all because Thorne had to get his hair _perfect_ and everything had to be _perfect_. Cress, on the other hand, had been ready for ten minutes already, because she knew how to be timely.

He was still in the bathroom. “Carswell!” Cress hardly ever used his first name, but desperate times called for desperate measures, she knew.

“I’m comingーoh aces,” he replied, and Cress’s eyebrows shot up. She heard a crash coming from the bathroom, and she bolted out of the chair toward the sound, her blue dress nearly tripping her in the process.

Thorne was leaning over the mirror, apparently staring at something in the sink. Cress peered around his arm, and sighed. Thorne had dropped his cologne, and the bottle had shattered all over the sink, leaving the liquid sprayed over the counter and sink.

“We don’t have time for this,” Cress said, grabbing Thorne’s shirt collar and turning him toward her. “You’ll have to just go without it.” Thorne pouted and glanced back at the sink, but Cress placed a hand on his cheek and turned his face back toward her. “You smell fine.”

Thorne grinned mischievously. “Of course I do. I smell like manly stuff, you know. Stuff you like.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Holding back a blush, she picked up his suit jacket from its perch on the counter and helped him into it, trying to hurry up the process. Thankfully, he had already been almost ready. “Let’s go,” she said, tugging on his arm once the jacket was on.

“Woah, hold it.” Thorne pulled her back toward him and adjusted the straps of her dress. “We’ll be fine, Cress. Promise.”

She huffed, glancing over his shoulder at the time displayed on the wall and glaring up at him. “We have to go. Now. We’re going to be late!”

“We’ll be fine,” he repeated, twirling her around to inspect her dress. He whistled. “You’re going to be the talk of the party, my darling.”

Cress blushed, but rolled her eyes nonetheless. “I’m pretty sure Cinder will be the talk of the party. She is the host, after all, and the queen of Luna.”

“Whatever you have to tell yourself,” Thorne replied. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips before turning her toward the mirror and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “How do we look?”

Cress sighed loudly, dragging a hand over her face. She couldn’t stay annoyed with him for long. “Like a couple going to a ball, I suppose.”

Thorne grinned at her through the mirror. “Good.” He spun her around once more, making her giggle, and held his arm out. “Shall we?”

Cress wrapped a hand around his arm, shooting him a playful scowl. “We’re not at the ball quite yet, Captain.”

“It doesn’t hurt to practice, does it?” He pulled his arm out of Cress’s grip, but she latched onto it again quickly. “No distractions,” she warned. 

He chuckled, leading them to the cockpit and sitting in the pilot’s seat. “Alright.” He flipped a few switches on the dash and glanced over at Cress. “Ready, Copilot?”

She shot him an amused smile. “Ready.”

\--

“Come on,” Cress said, tugging on Thorne’s jacket and rushing out of the docks toward the palace. They were, as Cress had suspected, late, but she hoped the others wouldn’t notice. Their friends were probably expecting it, knowing Thorne’s routine for getting ready. 

Cinder was standing on the palace steps, sporting a long silver ball gown and greeting each guest rather formally, a strange look on her. Cress could sense Cinder’s uneasiness even from a distance, and knew she still wasn’t used to the bows and curtsies and formal greetings she received. 

When the duo reached Cinder, however, her greeting was anything but formal. She pulled the two into a crushing hug, before pulling away and narrowing her eyes. “I thought I’d asked you to come early,” she whispered. 

Cress opened her mouth to apologize, but Thorne laid a hand on her shoulder and grinned at Cinder. “You know how I like to look my best, _Your Highness_.”

Cinder rolled her eyes. “I do, unfortunately.” She swept her hand out toward the open doors. “You can head on inside. The rest of our friends will be excited to see you.”

Cress and Cinder exchanged a smile, and then Thorne was pulling Cress into the palace, chuckling when Cress gasped from delight. 

The palace was absolutely dazzling. Glittery white streamers were wrapped around the pillars, and huge artificial trees were placed around the courtyard, each one doused in silver sparkles. The fountain in the center seemed to have a light in the center of it, giving a silver tint to the water spraying out of it. The entire room shined with lights and silver confetti, and Cress assumed most of the decorating had been done by Iko. It really wasn’t so much of a ball as a party that all of the most important people in the world were attending. 

Plenty of guests were already milling about the courtyard, but it wasn’t hard for Thorne to spot their friends and pull a very excited Cress over to them. Iko, Kai, Scarlet, Wolf, Winter, and Jacin were quick to greet the couple, and when Cress queried about the decorations, Iko beamed and dramatically started explaining how she had decorated the palace the night before.

Cress studied the group, slightly amused at the idea of her friends wearing fancy outfits. She had met them all during a revolution, after all, and could hardly picture Scarlet in anything but an old jacket or Wolf in a suit and tie. 

But her friends’ outfits still fit their styles well. Scarlet was wearing a simple but flattering red dress, unsurprisingly, and Wolf was sporting a tuxedo with a small red lapel pin. Kai and Jacin were both wearing tuxedos as well, and Winter looked absolutely ravishing in a soft pink ball gown. Iko, in true Iko fashion, was wearing a glitzy dress with the longest skirt Cress had ever seen. She guessed that Iko was wearing shoes with at least a six-inch heel underneath the dress. 

Cress herself had been gifted a light blue fit and flare dress by Iko a few months prior for the very occasion, and she had paired it with a simple pearl necklace and a pair of matching blue flats. She still wasn’t used to shoes, and knew that even the incredibly comfortable flats would start to bother her in a few hours.

Thorne was wearing a tuxedo, like the other men, but it was a slightly lighter color and he had chosen a bow tie instead of a regular necktie. “Now I stand out,” he had explained. “More attractive that way.”

Cress had smacked his arm lightly after that comment, and he had winked at her in response. Cinder, who had meandered over to the group after the last of the guests starting filtering in, rolled her eyes at Thorne and excusing herself and Kai. The group, curious, watched the two welcome Governor-General Williams from Australia, who looked more than a little embarrassed to be so late. Cress giggled as she watched him apologize profusely to Cinder across the room. 

Cinder gave a speech a few hours into the party, talking about peace and union of Luna and Earth and the like. She looked extremely nervous, and admitted so to her friends afterwards, but she didn’t once falter. Iko complained about not being able to try the delicious appetizers or various drinks most of the party, and Cinder had to literally drag her onto the dance floor with a random guy to remind her that she could still dance. 

Cress hardly saw Iko the rest of the night, and Thorne insisted that she had found her soulmate on the dance floor. “If she has, we’ll never see her again,” Cinder responded. 

The one time Iko was spotted after that was at the buffet table, where she was flirting with two pretty cute guys at once. Cinder didn’t look surprised to see this, and blamed Thorne for teaching her how to flirt. He merely shrugged and told her that it was going to come useful to her. 

“My feet hurt,” Cress muttered when they had been on the dance floor for a solid two hours. Thorne had been at her side the whole time, ignoring the looks he received from the majority of the women dancing, and Cress was more than happy to be in his arms all night. Even though she was awfully tired.

Thorne leaned down, his lips right next to Cress’s ear. “Do you want to stop dancing? We could take a break if you wanted to.”

Cress looked down at her feet, still in their little blue flats. She peered back up at Thorne, and rested her head under his chin. “Maybe just a few more songs?”

She could feel Thorne’s chuckle rumble through his chest, and guessed he was grinning at the top of her head. “That’s my girl. Just let me know when you’re tired of dancing.” He paused, pulling Cress even closer. “I’m surprised, actually, that you’re still standing. This is your first party, after all. I guess I shouldn’t underestimate you, though.”

He kissed the top of her head, and Cress decided to refrain from telling him that she was still dancing only because she didn’t want to pull herself out of his embrace.

“Are you sure you don’t need a drink or something? There’s no harm in taking a break, you know.” Thorne sounded concerned, and Cress guessed he could tell that if he let go of her, she would most likely collapse from exhaustion. 

She let out a shaky breath, and looked up at Thorne, who looked as concerned as ever. She laughed humorlessly. “If I’m to be honest, the second you let go of me, my legs will fail me.”

Thorne’s mouth quirked, and he brushed his lips against hers. “I won’t let go, then.” 

He turned them around, so that they were half-facing the buffet table. “Look,” he murmured, nodding his head at the table. 

Cress looked up, peeking around his arm, and a laugh bubbled out of her stomach. Iko was still, miraculously, at the buffet table, talking to _three_ guys and pretending to eat a cracker with a cheese spread. Out of the corner of her eye, Cress spotted Cinder and Kai dancing, both looking in Iko’s direction. Kai looked like he was holding back a laugh, and Cinder looked as though she was about to drag Iko away from the table as dramatically as she could. 

Cinder glanced in Cress and Thorne’s direction, and the look in her eyes told Thorne that Cinder would have his head the next time she got close enough. 

Cinder was still glaring furiously at Thorne, but he merely chuckled and looked back at Cress. “She’s getting pretty good at this flirting thing, don’t you think?”

Cress peered over at Iko, and buried down a smile. “Definitely. She’s got three guys talking to her. And they don’t seem to notice, or care, that she’s flirting with all of them at the same time.”

Thorne gave her an amused grin, and his eyes widened as the two of them watched yet another guy walk up to the buffet table and notice Iko, inviting himself to the conversation. 

“I can’t believe this,” Thorne groaned. “How has she managed to perfect all of _my_ moves?”

Cress bit her lip. “Maybe she’s actually polite, and people enjoy talking to her. From what I’ve seen, you prefer to brag about how amazing and hot you are.”

Thorne raised an eyebrow. “But girls like a man like that.”

Cress rolled her eyes. “I don’t think all girls do. I’ve just learned to tolerate it.”

“Would you prefer I tell you how amazing and hot _you_ are?” He winked. 

Cress looked down to hide her blush. Thorne took one hand off of her waist and lifted her chin up, daring her to look into his eyes. “I’m more than happy to do that for you,” he murmured. 

His eyes flickered down to her lips and he looked like he was about to kiss her, and Cress closed her eyes in anticipation. His lips had just brushed hers when a voice right next to her ear muttered, “Come on. Can you two please not make out in front of the entire party?”

Cress gasped, her eyes flying open and her gaze settling on a very annoyed Cinder. Thorne was startled as well, annoyance flitting across his face from being interrupted. 

“Can you not be so nosy? It’s not that hard, Cinder.” Thorne teased, annoyance forgotten. 

Cinder rolled her eyes and laid a hand on Cress’s shoulder. “Just try to keep the affection to a minimum in public.”

Thorne winked at her. “Works for me.” He turned back to Cress, wrapping his free hand back around her. “Shall we?”

Cinder disappeared just as quickly as she had appeared, leaving Cress and Thorne on the dance floor, surrounded by other various couples. Watching Iko at the buffet table and talking to Cinder had made Cress forget about her exhaustion, but now that they were dancing silently again, it came back to her in a rush. Thorne gave her a concerned look that was even more intense than before, if it was possible, and Cress knew that her face was pale. 

“We’re taking a break. Maybe even calling it quits.” Cress started to protest, but Thorne held a finger up to her lips. “You need to go to bed. You look like you’re about to faint.”

He led her off the dance floor, keeping an arm locked around her waist. Cress leaned against a pillar and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She could hear Thorne shifting from one side to the other in front of her, and she imagined he was shooting her a particularly worried look. 

After a lengthy silence, Thorne spoke. “How about we go back to the Rampion? I think you’ve had enough dancing for one day.”

Cress’s eyes fluttered open, and for the first time that night she noticed the lines of fatigue on Thorne’s face. Why hadn’t he told her he was tired too?

She felt herself nod, and Thorne exhaled, giving her a content smile. He wrapped an arm around her waist again and gestured toward the doors. “We can just slip out. No need to make a scene.”

The two of them made their way out of the courtyard, side-stepping people and carts of food and more people. When they reached the doors, Thorne held one of them open a sliver and Cress walked out into the cool early morning air, immediately feeling more relaxed. She turned back to Thorne, who was about to close the door behind them, when she spotted Scarlet running toward them. 

Scarlet shot Thorne a suspicious glance when she reached them. “And where do you think you’re going, young man?”

Thorne’s mouth dropped open. “I’m older than you!”

Scarlet scoffed. “But I’m more mature.” She didn’t wait for Thorne’s reply. “Seriously, where are you two going? Because if you’re just leaving toー”

“Back to the Rampion to catch up on some much needed sleep,” Thorne replied. “We’re both pretty tired, if you want the truth.”

Scarlet rolled her eyes. “Why wouldn’t I want the truth? I was just checking, anyway. Didn’t want anyone to have a heart attack when they realize Cress is gone.”

“What about me? Wouldn’t you be concerned if I was gone?”

“It’d be a relief.” Scarlet ignored Thorne’s offended look and turned to Cress. “Good night.”

Cress gave her a weak smile in return, and when Scarlet closed the door, she grabbed Thorne’s hand and together they sprinted toward the docks. Actually, Thorne sprinted and dragged Cress along, who was about to collapse from exhaustion.

“Captain is king,” Thorne shouted, and the ramp lowered before their feet. 

When they had gotten on board and Thorne had checked to make sure the ramp had locked, Cress pulled her shoes off and threw them in the corner before running to the captain’s quarters, where the door was ajar, and collapsing on the bed. Aces, she was tired. 

Thorne appeared in the doorway a minute later, suit jacket and shoes forgotten. “Knew you were tired.” Walking over to the side of the bed, he pushed Cress’s legs over to the opposite side and sat down. “Are you going to keep your dress on or do you want to change?”

Cress shook her head in response, and shifted so that she could pull the covers over herself. To her left, Thorne exhaled, pulled the covers over himself and tucked Cress against his chest. 

“You don’t have to stay here,” Cress said after a long silence. “I’m just going to be sleeping.”

Thorne buried his face in her hair. “I’m staying right here,” he muttered. “If I’m being honest, I’m pretty tired myself.”

She nodded, making his head move as well. “Captain?”

“Cress.” He shifted so that his face was no longer in her hair. 

“If Cinder has another peace ball next year, can we go again? I had a lot of fun.”

Thorne laughed, and Cress peered up at him. He raised an eyebrow and gave her a peck on the forehead. “Honestly, I think Cinder would be offended if we didn’t show up.”

Cress laughed. “Probably.” She yawned, stretching her arms out and then curling them against Thorne’s chest. “Good night, Captain.”

“Good night, Cress.” He pulled one hand up so that it was buried in Cress’s hair. 

“Captain?” 

He sighed. “What now? You’re supposed to be tired.”

“Do you think we should clean up the spilled cologne in the bathroom?”

He guffawed. “Aces and spades, you didn’t seem to think it was a big deal before. Go to sleep! That’s what’s important now.”

Cress wiggled closer to him and sighed. “I love you.”

There was a long pause, before he kissed her exposed shoulder. “Are you asking me to proclaim my love for you, too?”

“Maybe.” Her eyes closed involuntarily, and another yawn escaped her lips. 

“Fine.” Thorne leaned forward and brought his lips to her ear. “I love you, Cress. Now go to sleep.”

Already half-asleep, Cress smiled. The gentle cocoon of Thorne’s embrace brought her back to a time she slept in his arms in an unforgiving desert, the first time in her life that she was actually free.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! This one was really fun to write :)


End file.
